Edward hubbard russell



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD HUBBARD RUSSELL, OE NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE RUSSELL PROCESS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF LEACHING ORES WITH HYPOSULPHITE SOLUTIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,615, dated May 21, 1889.

Application filed December 29, 1887, Serial No. 259,338. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HUBBARD Rus- SELL, of New Haven, in the county of New Ilaven, and in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in the Process of Leaching Ores with llyposulphite Solutions; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a certain improved process of treating ores and metallurgical products in extracting metals therefrom; and to this end my invention consists in the process and the parts of the process, as hereinafter specified.

I have heretofore obtained certain United States Patents covering improved processes and methods of extracting metals from ores and metallurgical products, in the carrying out of which said ores or products are subjected to the action of a cupreous hyposulphite solution, or a hyposulphite solution to which has been added a salt of copper.

In two applications for United States patents filed by me and now pending, being serially numbered, respectively, 206,150 and 206,976, I have described and claimed certain processes and methods involving particular ways or methods of securing the proper subjection of the ores or metallurgical products being treated to the cupreous hyposulphite solution, or hyposulphite solution to which a salt of copper has been addedthat is, in said pending applications I set forth and cover certain special methods of carrying out the process or processes broadly covered by my said patents.

In my present application I set forth and claim a still further way of securing the sub- 3 ection of ores or metallurgical products to the action of a hyposulphite solution to which a salt of copper has been added, or a cupreous hyposulphite solution.

As is the case with the processes or methods set forth in my pending applications referred to, the particular process or method covered in the present application is then broadly covered by the terms of my patented claims.

In carrying out the methods covered by my pending applications the copper salt is either introduced into the ore or product in an aqueous or other solution, or is placed in or upon the ore or product in the path of the hyposulphite solution subsequently used thereon. Where the copper solution is employed, the copper is precipitated in the ore or product in such a form (particularly the carbonate) that it is redissolved by the hyposulphite solution afterward used. Thus is formed the desired solution containing cupreous hyposulphite to dissolve the metals out of the ore. Such method or process is especially adapted for use on ores which contain carbonate of lime, carbonates of other elements, or hydrates of the same. It the ore or metallurgical product to be treated does not contain these compounds, the copper will not be precipitated out of the aqueous or other solution of the copper salt, so as to leave the desired coppercompounds to be dissolved and taken up by the hyposulphite solution.

The special object of this present invention is to make the process or method, in the carrying out of which a copper compound is introduced into the ore before the hyposulphite solution is used, applicable to ores or metallurgical products not originally containing carbonates or hydrates of lime, or of other elements.

In carrying out my present invention I i11- troduce into the ore such a compound as shall cause the copper to be precipitated out of the aqueous or other (except a hyposulphite) solution in such a form that it shall be capable of being redissolved by a hyposulphite solution with which the ore or product is subsequently treated.

The material which I employ for the preparation of the ore or product for the use of the solution-of-copper compound is any carbon ate, acetate, phosphate, borate, or hydrate. The term carbonate, as used by me above, is intended to include all carbonates, such as the bicarbonate, sesquicarbonates, and others.

The most suitable material, and that which I prefer, is soda-ash, the commercial carbonate of soda. \Vhichever of these materials is used, it can be introduced into the ore or product in various ways. It can be mixed with the ore, or in solution can be allowed to pass or be circulated through the same by means of a siphon-pump or ejector. In the latter case the solution of blue-stone or other copper saltfollows after the. solution of the carbonate or other jco'mpound,and the copper, uniting with such carbonate or compound,

is ppecipitated in the ore or product in such form that it is redissolved by the hyposulphite solution subsequently used.

Carbonate of lime, magnesia, or strontia can be used in preparing. theore or product for the copper-salt solution, but theyare best mixed With ore, as they are almost insoluble inwater. As appears fully, then, from the description hereinbefore given, my invention involves broadly'the introduction of such a material or compound in'tothe ore or metal-. lurgical product as shall cause the precipitation of the copper from the aqueous or other copper-salt solution upon or within the mass of ore or product. The copper isprecipitated by the added or introduced carbonate or other compound in such form that it is readily redissolved or taken up by the hyposulphite solution which I subsequently use upon the ore, and there is thus formed the desired solution containing cupreous hyposulphite, or the solution which is used in my patented processes to extract the metals from the ores.

The solution of copper salt or compound which I use after the .addition or introduction of the carbonate can be an aqueous orother kind of solution, except a hyposulphite one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim ,is' Y 1. The method of preparing ores and metallurgical products for the use thereon of a hyposulphite leaching solution, which consists in introducing into the ore or product a compound adapted to precipitate copper out of a copper solution, and then treatingthe' ore or product with a solution of a copper compound, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

carbonate, and then introducing into it a copper salt or compound, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Th'e method of preparing ores and metallurgical products for the use thereon of a hyposulphite leachingsolution, which consists in introducing into the ore or product carbonate of soda, and then introducing into the mass sulphate of copper or blue-stone, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I A. The method of preparing ores and metallurgical products for the use thereon of a hyposul'phite leaching solution, which consists in introducing into the oreor product a compound adapted to precipitate copper from a sulphate-of-copper solution and treating the mass-with such a solution, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The process of extracting metal from ores and metallurgical products, which consists in introducing a carbonate into the ore or product, then introducing a salt of copper, and

finally treating the mass with a hyposulphite solution, substantially as and for the purpose specifiecL- 6. The process of extracting metal from ores and metallurgical products, which consists in introducing into the ore or product carbonate of soda, then treating the mass with a solution of sulphate of copper, and then treating it with a hyposulphite solution, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The process of extracting metals from ores and metallurgical products, which consists in introducing into the ore a compound to precipitatecopper from a copper solution, then treating the mass with such a solution, and finally treating the ore or product with a hyposulphite solution, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of November, 1887.

EDWARD HUBBARD RUSSELL. Witnesses:

' GEO. Il-LARNED,

PHILIP E. RUssELL. 

